Provision for birds in buildings Turning buildings into bird friendly habitats Dr Kate Vincent – Senior Ecologist Baker Shepherd Gillespie – Ecological Consultants
Mar 28, 2015
Provision for birds in buildings
Turning buildings into bird friendly habitats
Dr Kate Vincent – Senior Ecologist
Baker Shepherd Gillespie – Ecological Consultants
The design for biodiversity approach
• National/regional/local policy and guidance• Key documents justifying this approach:
– Working with grain of nature: A Biodiversity Strategy for England (DEFRA 2002)
– biodiversity a fundamental consideration across all main sectors of public policy
– PPS 9:Biodiversity and Geological Conservation
– change to ‘net gain of biodiversity’ via enhancements delivered through planning system
• Other benefits to developers such as: – Offering developers the chance to secure
planning approval; – Engaging the support of local communities; – Demonstrating
corporate/social/environmental responsibility – Achieve a unique selling point for
development; – Adding Value to BREEAM/Code for
Sustainable Homes with Ecology
The design for biodiversity approach
Why help urban birds?• Birds play an important role in adding to
biodiversity in urban centres
• Several species of bird use buildings to breed
• Many species are in decline;• house sparrow (UK priority list & red listed)• starling (UK priority list & red listed)• house martin & swallow (amber listed)• swift (41% from 1994 to 2007) • black redstart (rare breeding bird in UK)
Which birds use buildings?
• Some breed extensively in or on buildings; house sparrow, house martin & swift
• Others are highly dependent on buildings for nesting; starlings, swallows, black redstart
• kestrel and peregrine falcon will also use nest boxes on buildings
Making buildings bird friendly:Retrofitting and new builds• Modern housing intended to be weather tight
& well pointed so can exclude birds
• Renovation/roof replacement of older houses can remove nesting opportunities
• Retrofit existing buildings/include bird friendly design in new buildings
• Engage architects in thinking about designing in wildlife
Incorporating birds
New design:• Ideally when new development is being
designed biodiversity is given priority• Birds can be designed in very easily
through creating internal nesting opportunities
• History of key local bird populations - include in design
Incorporating birds
Retrofitting• If unable to retain or create internal nests put
a nestbox on the outside • Position under the eaves, out of the direct
sun, wind and rain• Species specific hole sizes are important
– 32 mm for house sparrows – 45 mm for starlings– swifts require a 'letterbox' entrance of minimum 65
mm x 25-35 mm
House Sparrow
Can be put within fabric of buildingMy PhD study site in Leicester
Single boxes spread out across house; more successful than terrace idea
Swift Bricks www.swift-conservation.org
• made of concrete, and has a hollow interior• measures 180mm high, 265mm wide, and is
220mm deep• Use it in blockwork or brickwork walls, ideally as the
top course• Install them in a straight line, under the eaves or at
the top of a vertical wall, away from window• Install: 1 to 4 Swift Bricks on a house 4 to 10 on a small block of flats 10 to 20 on a school/hospital
warehouse/apartment block
Taken from www.swift-conservation.org
Internal swift bricks
• Swiss Cottage Sports Centre, London
• Swift bricks can be hidden behind rendering/pebble dash/tile/stone facing
• Need the 55mm x 33mm entrance hole to be exposed for access
• Notting Hill Housing Trust/Barnet Council sheltered housing project
• Added nest sites to replace lost nest sites
External swift boxes
• Islington Borough Council offices boxes put up in 2007
• London Zoo; 2 types of boxes
• Swift call recordings were played to attract the birds
Custom made examples:
Oxford University Tower; behind each vent is a double nestbox in which the swifts breed
147 boxes; avg 50 to 60 used
made to camouflage with surroundings
swift nestbox installation at King’s Cross
Swift towers
• • opportunities for tower colonies are:
• MOD sites • power stations • hospitals• mobile phone masts• railway sidings• Min.height is 7 metres
(higher the better) • design based on
German design for a house martin tower colony Designed by Dick Newell of Action for Swifts
Swift Towers
Others: House Martins
• tower fitted with many artificial nests, set up on a village green in Germany
• Artificial nests are readily available and easy to install
Others: black redstart; wagtails; starling
This main cavity is supplied without a front panel as there are different types of front panel to meet the needs of various bird species
Others; swallow
• Open cup design• Easy to install
Others; falcons
Peregrine Falcons; 10 pairs nesting in cities;
Eg: Manchester, Lincoln, Derby & even on the Tate Modern in London
Kestrels becoming common breeders in cities
If artist Benjamin Verdonck can install a giant bird’s nest on the side of a building in Rotterdam, there is no excuse not to provide for the small feathered variety.
• Useful information:
• www.bsg-ecology.com – ecological consultants
• www.swift-conservation.org – Swift Conservation Advisory Service
• www.concernforswifts.com – Swift Conservation for Scotland